Golf: Frank Vana enjoys defying challenges of young

Frank Vana loves Longmeadow Country Club. That can’t be good news for the other golfers who will tee off there in the Massachusetts Amateur championship beginning Monday.

“It’s one of my favorite golf courses because it’s one of the best,” Vana said. “Everything about it is great, great holes, great greens. It’s a great atmosphere.”

Vana, 50, of Marlboro CC, also has plenty of great memories of playing the Donald Ross layout. At LCC, he captured the first of his record eight Mass. Mid-Amateur titles in 1999, shared the lead in the 2002 Mass. Open after two rounds before finishing third overall and as low amateur qualified for the U.S. Amateur, and teamed with R.J. Foley of Sterling National to win LCC’s fall men’s invitational in 2006 and 2007.

Feeling comfortable at a golf course doesn’t automatically breed success, but it allows Vana to enter the week in a positive frame of mind.

Vana will be seeking his third Mass. Amateur championship. He won the Mass. Amateur in 2004 at Taconic GC in Williamstown and in 2005 at Essex County Club in Manchester.

At 6,756 yards, LCC will be one of the longer courses to host the Mass. Amateur, and it’s expected to play even longer after all the rain that has fallen in recent weeks. But length has never been a problem for Vana.

“He’s a stud,” said 22-year-old Ricky Stimets of Paxton. “He hits it just as far as we do.”

“That’s not true,” Vana said. “These young kids kill it. I still hit it pretty good, but at the Northeast Amateur, it was a reality check. These young kids kill it.”

Elite college players may outdrive Vana by 10, 20, even 30 yards, but he’s still within reach of most amateurs less than half his age.

“I would say driving is one of my strengths, no doubt,” he said.

Vana’s greatest strength could be his experience. He knows not to let a bad shot bother him.

Vana will turn 51 on Aug. 21. The oldest golfer to win a Mass. Amateur was North Falmouth’s Ed Fletcher, who prevailed at Concord CC in 1995 at age 53. In capturing his record sixth Worcester County Amateur title at Wachusett CC last Sunday, Vana showed that his game is rounding into form after what he considered to be a slow start to his eason.

“Mentally, I haven’t been really tuned in, I don’t think,” he said. “Physically, I feel great so I’m a little disappointed. Mentally, I haven’t really been that tuned in, but the last week or so, it feels better. I feel more relaxed, and everything is a little more clear.”

Vana has qualified for match play in the Mass. Amateur in each of the past 22 years, and he has reached the final in six of the past 10. He’s been the golfer to beat for a long time.

“Honestly,” Vana said, “I try not to think about it, and that works for me. I want to do my thing, go out and have fun. There are a lot of good players out there and a lot of guys playing great. I don’t want to get too worked up. I’m happy that I’m thinking clearly. Physically, I feel good. That’s kind of enough. Just go there and see what happens. I’m excited, I like the golf course. Those are all good things.”

Unlike Vana, Stimets didn’t play LCC for the first time until he got in a practice round there last week. He lost in the Mass. Amateur quarterfinals at Tedesco CC in Marblehead last year.

“I plan to hit it the same way I’ve been hitting it and hopefully make some more putts,” Stimets said.

Stimets, who graduated from the University of North Alabama this past spring, plans to turn pro in September.

Sutton native Ryan Riley won the Mass. Amateur the last time it was played in Western Mass., beating Vana in the 2011 final, 4-3, at Wyantenuck CC in Great Barrington. Riley also won the 2009 Mass. Mid-Amateur out west at Franconia GC in Springfield.

Brett Malboeuf didn’t take up golf until he was a freshman at Shrewsbury High, and he was cut from the school’s golf team that year. Nevertheless, SHS coaches Leo Murray and P.J. O’Connell urged him to keep working on his game and told him that he’d improve.

“I took that to heart and really went to work and tried to get better,” Malboeuf said.

The following year, Malboeuf made the team. As a junior, he was the No. 6 golfer as Shrewsbury won the state title. As a senior, he became a co-captain.

Malboeuf was the No. 3 golfer at Endicott College before transferring to UConn last year. He hopes to make the UConn golf team as a walk-on in the fall.

Malboeuf, 20, attributes his improvement to practicing and playing at Cyprian Keyes GC in Boylston, where there are so many good players.

“It’s tough to be the best there,” he said, “but we’re all trying to be.”

Malboeuf played his best golf last week, tying for fourth in the Worcester County Amateur Sunday. His final-round 2-under 70 was the first time he shot under par in a tournament, and he finished the 36-hole event at 3-over 145 to beat plenty of more accomplished golfers.

“To know you’re hanging right with them,” Malboeuf said, “it’s a good confidence boost for the rest of the summer.”

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Malboeuf put that confidence boost to immediate use. On Monday, he carded a 1-over 72 to share medalist honors in the Massachusetts Amateur Public Links qualifier at Juniper Hill’s Lakeside Course. So Malboeuf will tee off in the MAPL Aug. 5-6 at Glen Ellen CC in Millis.

Prior to shooting his 2-under 70 last Sunday, Malboeuf wrote “LEO” for Murray on one side of his golf ball and the initials ASR for Andy Reese, his fellow Shrewsbury High co-captain, on the other side. Murray died last year while playing golf, and Reese died in a car accident in 2010.

“I got a couple of good bounces out there,” Malboeuf said, “and I think they were helping me out a bit.

“I think they both would have been proud of how I did,” Malboeuf said. “I really grinded it out pretty well, and that used to be my biggest problem in high school. I got down on myself pretty quick, but I’ve learned to hang tough and a lot of what Coach Murray said is sticking with me.”

Malboeuf and current Symetra Tour golfer Brittany Altomare were teammates at SHS, and they’ve remained friends. On Sunday, they bet an ice cream on who would shoot the better score. Malboeuf won. Altomare carded a 2-over 74 Sunday in the third round of the Symetra Tour event in Harris, Mich., to finish tied for 21st.

Wachusett CC owner Don Marrone expects to begin work this month on a three-tiered practice green of at least 5,000 square feet between the second and third holes. The green should open next year. The 3,500-square foot practice green on the other side of the clubhouse will be replaced next year by a circular driveway to allow golfers to drop off their clubs.

Bunkers will be built aside the third green to keep errant shots from approaching the new practice green.

If you play Wachusett CC, don’t be alarmed by the alligator peeking out of the pond on the second hole. Retired state police Col. Thomas J. Foley put a fake alligator head in the pond last month as a surprise favor to Marrone to get rid of the geese.

“Some who first saw it jumped back,” Marrone said.

Golfers may be startled by the fake alligator, but they’re glad that the geese are gone.

After shooting an 11-over 83 Sunday in the Worcester County Amateur, David Holmes said it could be his final competitive round of the season.

Holmes, 55, tore a tendon in his left elbow while lifting weights in February trying to get ready for the golf season. Physical therapy has helped, but not enough.

“I’m trying to fight through that, and it’s not going well,” he said. “I can’t really play any more.”

Holmes, a two-time winner of the Worcester County Amateur, plans to undergo surgery at some point this year. Holmes won the club championship at Blackstone National five times and at Wachusett CC six times, but he doesn’t think he can approach his usual form the way he’s feeling.

Holmes underwent surgery to replace a torn meniscus in his right knee after last golf season.

“Getting old stinks,” he said.

Veterans can play Juniper Hill this afternoon for half price. Just show proof of military service.

Contact Bill Doyle at wdoyle@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillDoyle15.